The Mediterranean Food Plan: Gaining Health

The Mediterranean food plan is a combination of basic healthy eating and the exotic and tasty components of the foods typical of the Mediterranean. Olive oil in plentiful amounts and even a glass of red wine are a part of your daily menu with the Mediterranean food plan. Like most healthy food plans, the Mediterranean food plan includes fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains and fish, and avoidance of unhealthy and dangerous fats. Unlike a "diet" the Mediterranean food plan is not based in concepts of scarcity and deprivation. Instead it is based in the enjoyment of plenty.

With the Mediterranean food plan, you can enjoy plentiful amounts of fresh fruits and veggies, delicious healthy fats like olive oil, flax seed oil, and others, nuts, and red wine or delicious grape juice. You will eat small amounts of lean red meat and get a great deal of your protein from fish, poultry, and certain cheeses.

The Mediterranean food plan traditionally includes fruits, vegetables, pasta and rice. This is because Mediterranean people eat very little red meat and usually have at least nine servings a day of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables. The Mediterranean food plan has been associated with a lower level of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. This is the "bad" cholesterol that's more likely to clog your arteries.

You will enjoy pasta and rice. In the Mediterranean, most grains are whole grain and don't have a lot of trans fats - the dangerous fats. Bread is a big part of the Mediterranean food plan. To be truly authentic, you will want to eat your bread without butter. You may enjoy olive oil or flax seed oil instead. You will be pleasantly surprised at how very good this is! You can make delicious dipping oils with herbs and garlic, and they will fit right in with your new food plan. With the Mediterranean food plan, you don't deprive yourself of fats and oils, you just make wise choices about the kinds of fats and oils you eat.

This food plan is like quite a few food plans that depend more on what you eat than how much. The difference is that the cholesterol is generally lower and the fat content higher. The very good news is that the fats you will choose are monounsaturated fats like olive oil, flax seed oil, and grapeseed oil. You will also enjoy polyunsaturated fats that contain linoleic acid. This is a type of Omega 3 fatty acid. You will find linoleic acid in canola oil and nuts. It is especially present in walnuts.

With the Mediterranean food plan, you will also enjoy fish - a terrific source of Omega 3 fatty acids. This will lower your triglyceride levels and can even improve the health of your blood vessels. You will avoid saturated fats and hydrogenated oil which contribute to heart disease and other health problems.

You will find monounsaturated fat in olive oil of all types. This kind of fat helps reduce LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol levels when you use it in the place of trans fats or saturated fats. The very least processed types of olive oil are virgin and extra virgin. They have the highest levels of plant compounds that provide antioxidant benefits.

Although nuts are high in fat, it is important to remember that nuts from trees, like hazel nuts, pecans, walnuts, and almonds are very low in saturated fats. Additionally, walnuts are high in Omega 3 fatty acids. Of course, nuts also have a lot of calories, so you are better off not to eat them to excess. However, you can surely enjoy a handful or so daily! Be sure to eat them plain for the most health benefits.

You can also enjoy a six ounce glass of red wine every day with the Mediterranean food plan. If you do not drink or would be unable to keep your consumption at this healthy level, enjoy dark grape juice instead. Both will give you the benefits of cancer fighting antioxidants and blood thinning qualities that improve the health of your heart.

So, give the Mediterranean food plan a try! You can use it as a complete food plan or easily dovetail it with the very healthy Fill Your Plate eating plan. It is an interesting and fun way to gain health.

You may also like:

Grapes! For the Health of It!
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The Mediterranean Eating Plan
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The Fill Your Plate Eating Plan
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